1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to dietary supplements for medical patients, and more particularly, to a dietary supplement which is formulated to meet the specific nutrient demands of renal dialysis patients. The dietary supplement is typically a powdered formulation of calcium casinate, whey protein, L-carnitine and arginine which is added to food to increase the production of albumin in renal dialysis patients.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Every year, about 80,000 people are afflicted with end stage renal disease (ESRD), the final stage of renal failure. In ESRD, the kidneys lose the ability to adequately filter the blood; consequently, wastes accumulate in the body. Several conditions can lead to ESRD, including diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as several other less-common causes. Without medical intervention, ESRD is fatal. Patients with ESRD must either be regularly treated with renal dialysis or receive a kidney transplant to compensate for the loss of kidney function.
Peritoneal renal dialysis is one of the current medical techniques used in the care of patients suffering from renal failure. Peritoneal renal dialysis involves pumping a special fluid into a patient's abdominal cavity. The fluid is balanced in such a manner that waste materials from the blood cross the peritoneal membrane and into the fluid in the peritoneum. The abdominal cavity is then evacuated, with the waste materials removed along with the fluid.
General nutrition guidelines for healthy persons typically stress consumption of large quantities of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain products; moderate quantities of low-fat meat and dairy foods; and low quantities of fat, sugar, alcohol and salt, for optimum health. Patients undergoing peritoneal renal dialysis, however, must follow a restricted diet devoid of meat and low in protein and carnitine. The reductions in protein and carnitine have far-reaching consequences for the patient. For example, a lack of protein in the diet leads to a general state of wasting. Peritoneal renal dialysis patients often experience a reduction of albumin, a major carrier protein in the blood. A reduction of albumin is associated with an increased rate of morbidity and mortality. Consequently, the levels of albumin must be continually monitored in the patient.
Recently, the American Kidney Foundation has increased the recommended levels of albumin from 3.5 g/dl to 4 g/dl. As protein is metabolized by the body, phosphorous is released. Healthy persons have various mechanisms to eliminate excessive quantities of phosphorous from the bloodstream. However, a common problem faced by peritoneal dialysis patients is the lack of ability to remove phosphorous from the blood. The recommended levels of albumin require intake of protein at quantities which may cause accumulation of phosphorous to toxic levels in the blood of such patients.
There is an established need for a dietary supplement which is readily available, formulated to meet the nutritional demands of peritoneal renal dialysis patients and includes calcium to capture phosphorous released from metabolized proteins; carnitine to aid in the restoration and maintenance of carnitine blood levels; and arginine to reduce blood pressure in patients with stable but compromised renal function following renal transplantation.